The Joy Model by Jeff Spadafora

Author:Jeff Spadafora [Spadafora, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2016-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

He’s telling us that fasting is a self-sacrifice that reminds us to love others sacrificially.

My first real attempt at fasting stemmed from a study on Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline that I did with a group of men. We had been leaning into all the other disciplines over the course of a year but shared some trepidation about wading into the unknown realm of fasting. Ultimately we decided, “Why not give it a shot?”

I strongly recommend you check with your doctor before fasting if going without food for even one meal produces any unusual physical conditions such as dizziness or lightheadedness. People who are hypoglycemic or diabetic should never fast without consulting their physician.

For my first fast, I planned on having dinner one night and fasting until dinner the next. I was nervous. I committed to only drinking all-natural fruit juices. I chose a day when I didn’t have any important meetings because I was afraid my mind might be muddled by low blood sugar and I’d be ineffective. Looking back on it, it’s amazing how much I was focused on my comfort and my concern about doing my work well. It was clear I wasn’t trusting God to get me through the day.

Two observations came from my first fasting day: (1) I could not get my mind off of food, and (2) I got irritable. Really irritable around 3:30 p.m.

As I continue to fast over the years, I use that first observation—my fixation on food—as the trigger to think about God, to thank Him for the blessings in my life, and to pray for others. Instead of being frustrated that I think about food while fasting, I am grateful for those hunger pangs because they draw me back to God more frequently throughout the day than on days when my stomach is full. This is exactly the intended effect.

As far as the irritability is concerned, I still wrestle with that. Foster claims that whatever emotion bubbles up in us during fasting is the emotion that controls us. For me, it’s irritability (the opposite of the spiritual fruit of patience). For others it can be fear, loneliness, laziness, lust, or pride. The value of this insight is that it gives me something specific to ask God to release me from so that I can serve and love others better.

I am still a work in progress. Being aware of this sin tendency keeps me humble. This is one of the rewards I think Jesus was referring to when He talked about fasting, because a humble heart is always a precursor to a joyful heart.

Another reward of fasting is gratitude (also a precursor to a joyful heart). When I finally break my fast, I couldn’t be more thankful that I can finally eat. Sadly, for millions of people around the globe that’s not an option.

Fasting from food is only one type of fasting. You could choose to fast from alcohol, sugar, or nicotine. My friend Paul McGinnis decided to fast from

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